Escape
by Queen of the Squares
Summary: In a large mountain region resides a school training special children with powerful Gifts to be the perfect super soldiers for the government. They fight, and live, only knowing of their own projected world until a small group of teenagers, tired with the oppression forced on them, decide to escape. They go on a journey filled with love, Vampires and betrayal.


_Hey, do you want to hang out this Saturday?_ I deciphered my friend's lazy scrawl across the notebook paper. I sighed and wrote back, _Fine. Where?_ I passed the note down to her, sliding it along the empty desks in detention.

I saw her lift her pen, pause, then began to write fast. She threw it at me, I caught it silently, this was normal for us, and then read the response, _We can go to the library and hang…?_ I wrote back, _Sure. Maybe something interesting will happen. _

I tossed the note to her, and it landed right in front, she looked over and grinned. I smirked back.

We weren't bad kids, only slightly mischievous. But, no one saw it that way. We both loved the sense of danger we got when in trouble, I more than her. There was a small group of us, all rebels. People thought we were delinquents, but that's not the case. We were special, with amazing Gifts that no one understood.

Many people think that we are witches, and deal with black magic, but that isn't the case.

"Alright girls, you may leave," The old man who was assigned to watch us said, "But don't come back again."

I stood silently, putting my favorite book, _The Devouring__**, by Simon Holt**_, back into my black bag.

My friend walked over to me and whispered, "Wanna find the others, ditch and go hang out in the woods?"

I shrugged, "I don't care."

She took it as affirmation and we walked together out into the hallways. We had gotten detention in first period, so we had to spend our study hall in punishment.

I pulled out my phone and sent out a group text to our group, telling them to meet us at the backdoors. Almost immediately I got a reply back from Harmony, _Kk, I'll get the others._

We all had the same study hall together- luckily for us- and that's when we plan, and usually ditch.

Isadora and I walked through the deserted hallways-everyone else was in class, or study hall. It depends. Everyone has a different one, depending on their schedule.

Our school wasn't the best- not prestigious- and security was lack, so it's easy to break out. Faster than the others, we were at the doors leading to the back, the ones only used for fire drills, and waited, leaning against the walls.

Isadora sighed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, brown hair falling in her face, "So, did you finish the book for English class yet?"

I laughed, "Me? Finish homework? Please. I just guess at the answers. Plus, I read the Cliff Notes on them."

Isa laughed, "Of course."

"Yo!" A deep voice said from down the hall and I saw Zach coming down the hall. His messy black hair was in usual disarray, and his clothes were slightly ruffled.

"Heh hey, hey!" Another male voice called out, coming up behind him was the sunnier Cade.

Cade didn't have sunny looks, with dark, chocolate hair and dancing brown eyes, but his personality was brighter than the sun.

It's sad that no one can see it-they never give him a chance.

"Could you please be quiet?" I snapped at him. Cade hung his head, brown hair falling into his face, "Ah…."

"Stop being mean- it's not becoming of you." A feminine voice trilled.

Cade lit up, "Harmony!"

Said girl pranced over, her wavy black hair bouncing, "So, where do we plan to go today?"

"I don't know…" Cade sighed.

"Out in the woods like normal." I replied.

"Where're the others?" Isa asked.

Harmony sighed in exasperation, "Their still on their way. Mrs. Biznotch was being a biyotch and made us go one at a time!"

"Ugh. I hate her. She gave me detention a yesterday. For no reason at all!" I said in disgust.

"You threw a text book at Jason's head." Zach dead-panned.

Isadora snorted. We all hated Jason.

I heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and we stiffened, being silent. Zach silently put his head around the corner, holding up his hand, he used sign language, spelling out, 'It's Ashlen.'

In a second, we resumed our previous stances, the tension leaving.

"Woods?" She asked, coming into our view, we nodded, and she continued, "The others are on their way."

As if on cue, Ethan and his sister, Echo appeared.

"Hi guys~" Echo said happily. Ethan grunted a greeting.

"Let's go." Zach said, opening the door. A cold wind rushed in to greet us and I pulled my black wooly jacket closer, putting the hood up to cover my almost black hair.

"Why's it so cold?" Cade complained, rubbing his arms.

"What are you talking about? It feels great!" Echo yelled, running out, red and brown leaves crunching under her booted feet.

Cade muttered something inaudible under his breath, turning the air around him white with the sudden heat.

"Let's hurry… I don't want to get caught." Harmony said. She was the one in our group that hated getting in trouble and skipping, but did it anyways because she hated the malicious glares that were sent in our direction.

With that, we sprinted towards the woods, the air turning white, as we panted.

Once we got into the tree cover, we slowed to a walk.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked, jumping onto a fallen, dead tree, and walking along the trunk. It was fairly small, and propped up on its side like a balance beam.

"You know what we have to do." Ashlen sighed, rubbing her hands together.

"I know," I sighed, "We need to follow through with our plan."

"Which? Plan A, or plan B, or plan Z?" Isadora said sarcastically.

"The Ultimate one." Harmony intoned, pulling her woolen cap over her ears.

No one said anything for a while as we walked, or warm breath fogging the air.

Once we got far enough from the school I said, "Let's sit down and plan. This is our only chance to break out."

We sprawled out over the leaves littering the ground and began to talk.

"We need to make sure our provisions are still there." Harmony stated.

"And that we have everything."

"Where will we go?" Zach asked, bringing up the question none of us wanted to speak of.

We had nothing, having been sent to the school when we were young, our powers showing, and haven't been able to contact any of our parents.

The silence was awkward.

"We aren't there yet, we just have to make sure we can get out, then we'll plan that." Isadora said.

There was a crunch behind us and we sprang up. Echo's hand was out, the air around us shifting and becoming colder.

Harmony whimpered, "I don't want to get in trouble…"

"What if it's one of the security officers?" Isadora flitted, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"We should hide." I said, crossing my arms, trying to warm myself and taking a few steps back.

"I want to leave! Why can't I leave?" Cade screamed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, mist began to roll through the bottom of the trees, his power activating.

Harmony put an arm on him, "Hey- calm down, we need to take this seriously. No losing control, alright?"

There was a flash across my vision and masked people appeared in front of us.

"You have been found skipping classes and out of school grounds. We, in the Punishment Faculty, have found your transgressions plentiful and disruptive to the school. Come with us." One of them said.

Without waiting for an answer, one of them stepped forwards and pulled off his mask.

I looked into his crimson eyes and felt my knees go weak as I lost myself, falling into blackness. I tried to keep myself up, struggling against the invisible weight-crushing me to the forest floor- and knew it was a lost cause.

"No!" A voice cried from behind me, "Don't! Go away! Just go away!"

The wind picked up and the man that was affecting me was distracted. I came back to my senses and realized that the leaves were swirling.

"Run! Now!" Echo's voice took on a double-toned quality, "I'll hold them off!"

I turned to run, the wind blowing, forcing me back, "Echo! I can't move!" I screamed over the roaring.

My feet started slipping, the soles of my shoes losing friction, and making me slide, "Echo! I'm serious!" I cried out. I looked behind me and saw a swirling vortex beginning to appear, "Echo!"

There was a creaking sound, then a loud, resounding snap as a branch flew away from one of the surrounding trees, flying at the Punishment Faculty.

Agonized screaming cut through the overwhelming sound of the miniature tornado.

"Echo! Stop it! You'll destroy the forest!" I yelled at her, the wind was so loud, I wasn't even able to hear my own voice.

I latched onto a tree, clinging to it with all my strength. I turned my head and saw my friend. She had her arms out, her fingers slightly bent and her back rigid. I couldn't locate the Punishment Faculty, they were nowhere to be found.

The wind began to calm, the vortex disappearing, but the damage was done.

The trees around us where broken, frayed, and leaning in, about to crash.

Echo's gray eyes fluttered, and she fell to the ground.

I groaned and grabbed her feet, pulling her along behind me. With any luck, the others had made it to our hideout -a small grove of trees that were very densely packed. We had hidden our supplies in it, and had set up a meeting spot. Right in the center is an enormous oak, one so big, that you could hide in its roots, which is what we are going to do. For a few days, we will stay there, and continue planning where we had left off.

I ended up having to pick her up, making Echo lean on me, so that she wouldn't hit her head on the fallen debris. My legs started to ache.

"Hey- are you here?" I called out, wanting to relieve myself from the burden, "Where are you guys?" I asked.

We were coming up on the grove, the path getting narrower and less maneuverable.

I accidentally hit Echo against a tree. The trail was steep, going into the mountains that surrounded the school, and it was getting harder and harder to cart Echo up.

I set the unconscious girl down behind a tree, covering her up with some leaves, and then ran up into the trees, weaving in between the narrow spaces, the branches whipping against me.

It took a while, but I reached the large tree in the center of the grove, and lifted up the mossy sheet that separated the large space under its roots from the outside air. I got on my knees, the dirt and leaves damp, and crawled under, into the dark space.

"Who's there?" A voice called out.

"Zach?" I asked, trying to make his figure out against the darkness.

"Yeah. Where's everyone else?" He asked me, light came from a convergence, the sudden light making my eyes hurt.

"I hid Echo, she's passed out, but I don't know where the others are." I said, crawling over to him, "Have you seen them?"

He set the flashlight down and shook his head, "No, we ran off together, but the wind ripped us apart. Hopefully, we can they can find us, and are ok."

"If their even alive." I threw out coldly, rubbing my arms, trying to ward off the cold.

"Don't say that!" Zach's voice commanded me, cracked and broken, then he softened, "We can only hope they made it. If we don't hope, then we don't have anything."

I heard a thud from above us, then coughing. Zach and I looked at each other. His big pale blue eyes were wide, and we crawled to the sheet, he pulled it back and peered out.

"It's Ashlen." He said, quickly slithering out, his large form making it harder for him to move through the opening. I slid out, and stared. Her shin was bent at an unnatural angle, and she had a branch impaled in her side.

"Oh my God…" I said, running to her.

Zach picked her up, taking her into the hideout. I struck a match and lit the hanging lantern, lighting up the space.

"Do you know what to do?" Zach asked me, slightly panicked.

My hands shook, "I know a bit about healing, but I'm not as good as Harmony is. But, I'll try." I closed my eyes, remembering what she had told me, "I need four strong sticks, a knife, and moss or fabric."

Zach nodded and went to fetch it. I called, forgetting something, "I also need bandages."

"Sure thing." Zach said, from the edge, he then came back. I shakily took supplies, focusing on her gut wound.

Ashlen wasn't conscious.

I pulled out the stick, and her eyes snapped open as she screamed in agony.

Quickly, I poured the sanitizer onto the wound, and it started bubbling, the chemical's cleaning. The bubbles were slightly pink, her blood fusing with it.

I wrapped the bandages around her torso to stop the bleeding, then focused on her leg. I took the branches then shook my head, putting them down again.

"_Cut the fabric first, then use it to keep the branches in place, one by one. Then finish by binding the leg tightly, like so," Harmony said, showing me how to fix a broken bone when in the wilderness. _

"_Hey- Harmony, I was wondering," I said, realizing how much of an asset she would be to Isadora's and my group, "Do you want to be in a group with me and Isadora?"_

_Harmony smiled softly at me, "Sure."_

I breathed out shakily, taking the knife and slicing the fabric, making a ripping sound.

Then I took them, setting the first stick on the left side of her leg, putting the fabric in it, and then wrapping it over to the top, setting the next, then continuing on, repeating the process.

I tied another piece on top, pulling it tight, then stepping back.

"Hey- what if the others are in the same condition… or worse that she's in?" Zach asked me, his voice scared, "We need to go and find them."

I shook my head, "We need to stay here and watch her."

Zach was adamant, "No. You can stay, I'm going to look."

"You can't go. Not now." I said, desperate, "We need to stay together. The school's after us, and all we have is each other."

"And Echo, wherever you left her." Zach growled, "We should get her."

I let my head drop, chocolate locks falling in my face, "You're right. We need to get her," I looked back at Ashlen, "She won't be able to move, and she's hidden. We might as well leave her here. She's as safe as she can be, given the circumstances."

Zach grabbed my hand, twining his fingers in mine for comfort, "Let's go." He said, and we went out. I stood up, brushing the dirt off of my pants and took Zach's hand again.

"Where did you leave her?" He asked me, squeezing my hand and pulling me closer. I pointed down the hill, "Over there."

We jogged through the woods, me ending up holding onto the back of his shirt, "Who is _that_?" He asked.

Right in our path was a man- no boy, with blonde hair. I couldn't see his eyes, being that they were closed, signifying his unconsciousness.

"Should we take him?" Zach asked me.

"I don't know… Echo is our priority."

"Why is he here? He isn't enrolled in the school." Zach said. I bent down beside him and poked the side of his face. His eyes snapped open.

Blue.

"Where am I?" He asked, grabbing his head as he sat up.

Zach sprang, grabbing the boy and putting him into a headlock.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Hanabusa Aido." He said.

I glared, "What should we do with him?"

"I don't care. If the Punishment Faculty finds him, then he'll be taken and his memories will be searched, but he'll just be a hindrance if we take him with us." Zach said.

"Should we kill him?" I asked.

"No. That's too extreme." The boy-Aido- started to struggle, "He has to have power, if not, then he wouldn't have been able to get into the school grounds."

I looked him in the eye, "What power do you have, hm?"

He spat at me, glaring, "Like I'd tell you."

I pulled a knife from my boots and put it to his neck, "This is a life or death situation, dearie."

"I can control ice." He growled and I smiled menacingly, "Good."

"That should be useful." Zach commented, squeezing Aido.

I nodded, "Yeah. Let's go get Echo."

We walked off, Zach still threatening to break that Aido kid's neck, and I led us to where I had left Echo.

I pulled her out, she was slightly conscious.

"What's going on?" She asked softly, blinking rapidly.

"We're regrouping. I need you to come with me and Zach, so that we can leave you in the hideout." I told her.

"Where are the others?" She asked groggily.

"Ashlen's in the hideout." Zach told her.

"Who's that?"

"Some guy named Hanabusa Aido, nothing special, but we've taken him hostage." I informed her.

"Ah." She said, standing up shakily, "Where are the others?"

"I don't know."

"Are you feeling ok?" Zach asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine after my nap." Echo smiled, "Let's just go, alright?"

With that, we trekked back to the hideout, and I was the last one left outside.

"Do you mind looking for the others?" Zach asked me, peering through the moss.

"Sure." I shrugged, not belaying my feeling of foreboding.

I walked away from the hideout, trailing my fingers along the ancient trees, going higher into the mountains.

I began to hum a random tune to myself.

_Shing!_

There was a metallic flash as something cold and hard brushed against my neck.

I stopped abruptly and firstly looked at the sword that was being held to my neck, to the pale hand holding the sword, and finally resting upon the face of the man whose hand was hold thing sword that was pressed against my neck.

"Whoa… a sword." I muttered in awe and fear, unable to move.

"Where is Aido?" He asked me, ignoring my question.

"I- He's- Uh, back at the hideout." I spluttered, not knowing what to say.

The man/boy's green eyes were hard.

"Show me where he is."

I shook my head, finding myself in control of my body once more, I began to back away slowly, "I can't do that."

He followed me calmly, still pointing the sword at me.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"You're behind the school, in the surrounding mountains. I don't know how you got here. Just _don't _kill me!" I said, "I'll scream, and the Punishment Faculty will find you and you'll be in more pain then you've ever been in before, so don't do it!"

"Punishment Faculty?"

"Yeah, they're in charge of divvying out consequences and bringing pain onto people. I would know."

_They had tied me to a chair, and I was unable to break the thick ropes._

_One of the masked people came up to me._

"_There's something on your face." She said rudely, then slapped me._

"_It was pain!" Another laughed._

_As if I would care. That was the lightest they had ever hit me. _

"_Now, how about we get the carving knife, hm?" The girl suggested, this was followed by maniacal laughter and a metallic gleam._

"Could you lower the sword? That would be really nice." I said, poking the tip to see if it was actually sharp, and it was, "Damn, I pricked my finger."

I put my finger into my mouth.

"It's a katana." He told me. I raised an eyebrow, "What the _hell _is a _katana_?" It was slightly difficult to speak around my pointer finger.

"It's a Japanese sword." He replied.

"Oh, never heard of it. But I guess that's reasonable, seeing as how I haven't been in the human world since I was three." I told him, nonchalant. When I was toddler, I accidently used my powers on my older brother, sending him collapsing on the floor, writhing in pain.

"What?"

"Yeah, when I was three I was sent here, and I haven't seen my family since," My dark blue eyes narrowed, "Wait, do you mean to tell me you _seriously _don't know where you are?"

"Yes, I seriously don't know where I am, so could you please tell me?"

I smirked, "I don't think so," the sword poked my neck and I grinned, "But mind you, if you kill me, you'd be lost out in these mountains, and without someone to guide you, you'll die of hypothermia. That means, you _need _me. So, what's your name."

I felt like I won the lottery.

"Ichijou Takuma." He informed me.

"Interesting, now, would you please lower the sword?" I asked, then corrected myself, "Scratch that, could you please lower the _katana?"_

It went down.

"Good, now, let's go." I walked past him, grabbing his shirt and turning him after me.

"Are you taking me to my friend?"

I laughed, "Nope. Before that, we need to find mine. They're in worse condition than yours."

"What's wrong with Aido?"

I turned to face him, "Nothing. He's in perfect health, and in our hideout right now. My friends are possibly dead. I think I win."

He didn't move.

"Look, I really need to do this, ok? I have a pact with my friends. We're a family and can only depend on each other. I just had to help one of them because she was bleeding to death with a stick impaled in her stomach, and a broken leg. I'm not the healer in the group. That's Harmony, and I don't know where she is, or if she's alive. So, you can go off and do whatever, die from extreme conditions in the mountains, I don't really care, but don't try and stop me with these selfish whims. You can believe me when I say that you're friend Aido is fine. He won't die, because Zach doesn't kill people. Alright?" I don't live for my friends. But I know that they would do the same for me. I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Fine, I'll go with you." He sighed.

"Thanks." I said, "Now come on. We're bound to find them at some point."


End file.
